Fencing system capable of adjusting to a sloping ground

ABSTRACT

An adjustable picket fence includes movable joints connecting rails to pickets so the rails can articulate with respect to the pickets whereby the orientation of the rails can be adjusted to accommodate uneven terrain.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the general art of fences, and to theparticular field of picket fences.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fences made of wood, stone, brick, metal and other materials have beenused for many years for a variety of reasons such as to indicateboundaries, to hinder an act of trespass by animals or people and toconfine animals or people within an enclosure. Fences may also be usedto manage sound, wind, light, sightlines and for purely aestheticreasons. Since fences have multiple purposes, a variety of styles haveevolved over the years. Wood fences in particular seem to have thewidest variety of designs, including a woven-board style, a solidabutting picket board style, a staggered picket board style and alouvered style

Picket fences are well known. They consist of a number of verticalmembers, called “pickets,” secured to at least two horizontal supportsto form a panel. A number of these panels are then secured together withpickets that are anchored in the ground or other suitable mountingsurface. Picket fences are typically used as protective barriers aroundprivate properties, swimming pools, gardens and the like, and mayinclude decorative features. This type of fence is typically constructedand installed by a skilled artisan. For this reason, they are usuallyquite expensive.

More recently, a less costly type of picket fence has emerged. This typeof picket fence is constructed of a collection of pre-fabricatedcomponents that are packaged and sold through retail outlets. Thecomponents are designed to be easily put together by the average“do-it-yourself” type of consumer. This type of fence also serves as aneffective barrier to unwanted guests and may also be aestheticallypleasing.

Common techniques for positioning and supporting a fence rail duringassembly of a fence are well known. In typical practice, a plurality offence pickets are positioned carefully on railings and slightly abovethe ground. Fence rails are then mounted between and to the fencepickets by fasteners, the fasteners frequently being screws, bolts,nails or other like mechanical fasteners which are driven, screwed orotherwise inserted through the fence rail.

The formation of a fence and particularly the connecting, positioningand supporting of the fence rails against the fence pickets canfrequently be a labor-intensive and time-consuming process requiring useof multiple tools. Moreover, a fence rail, once mounted to a fencepicket using typical means, may be difficult to remove and re-positionat a different angle or elevation. Indeed, repeated installation andremoval of the same fence picket may, in common practice, puncture,damage or deface the fence rail and even the connected fence pickets.Yet further, removal and repositioning of a fence rail, even wherepossible, is often a labor-intensive and time-consuming processrequiring use of multiple tools. Moreover, construction on uneventerrain is often particularly complex, even requiring a customizedstructure and special skills.

Problems appear to exist, however, with the methods of constructionknown to the inventor in that each appears to be a complicated methodwhich requires the purchase of multiple individual specific componentsto complete and which permits little room for modifications to addressvariable needs.

There accordingly exists a need for an invention which facilitatesrapid, efficient, sturdy, yet easily-modifiable connection andpositioning of fence rails along a fence by even a relatively unskilleduser at a user-selected, user-modifiable elevation and at auser-selected, user-modifiable angle. A need additionally exists for ameans and a method which accomplishes the foregoing purposes withoutneed of tools or additional fasteners and without damage to the fencepicket or attached fence rails.

The inventor is aware that because of the relative ease of installation,buying prefabricated fence sections has become popular. However, withoutfence sections that can accommodate a slope, the fence sections must becoupled together in a manner that will produce gaps when used on slopes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above-discussed disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by apicket fence system that has movable joints between the rails and thepickets whereby the rails can articulate with respect to the pickets.The rails can thus be easily moved into a desired orientation to accountfor uneven terrain. It is noted that the fence embodying the presentinvention can be used with many kinds of fencing materials, including,but not limited to, vinyl, wood and metal.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the invention willbe, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description, be within the scope ofthe invention, and be protected by the following claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The invention can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustratingthe principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, likereferenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable picket fence embodying thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows the adjustable fence embodying the present invention inposition on uneven terrain.

FIG. 3A shows how the fence embodying the present invention can easilyadapt to different slopes.

FIG. 4 shows a swivel joint on a picket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the figures, it can be understood that the presentinvention is embodied in an adjustable picket fence 10 that is locatedadjacent to ground G. Fence 10 comprises a plurality of pickets, such aspicket 12. Each picket includes a first end 14 which is a top end whenthe pickets is mounted between two posts (PS) as shown in FIG. 3A, asecond end 16 which is a bottom end when the picket is mounted in the PSand a longitudinal axis 18 which extends between first end 14 and secondend 16.

A first swivel joint 20 is located near the first end. First swiveljoint 20 includes a pivot pin 22 having one end 24 inserted into thepicket and a second end 26 that is spaced apart from the picket. Asecond swivel joint 30 is located near second end 16. Second swiveljoint 30 includes a pivot pin 32 which has one end 34 inserted into thepicket and a second end 36 that is spaced apart from the picket. Secondswivel joint 30 is spaced apart from first swivel joint 20 in thedirection of longitudinal axis 18.

The swivel joints are identical and an example is shown in FIG. 4. Apivot pin P has a first end P1 fixedly mounted in the picket 18P and asecond end P2 spaced apart from the picket. Second end P2 has a head Hthereon. Head H is spaced from the picket far enough so that a rail canbe pivotally attached to the rail to pivot about pin P but will not comeoff of the picket.

A plurality of rails, such as rails 40, are adapted to extend above theground. Rails 40 include a first rail 42 that is attached to the firstswivel joint of each picket with second end 26 of the first swivel jointbeing accommodated in the first rail. The first rail is pivotallyconnected to the picket using standard accepted practice whereby, as canbe understood from the teaching of FIGS. 2 and 4, the first rail canarticulate with respect to the picket to accommodate uneven terrain,such as hill H or the like.

A second rail 50 is attached to the second swivel joint of each picketwith the second end of the second swivel joint accommodated in thesecond rail. The second rail is pivotally connected to the picket viathe second swivel joint whereby, as can be understood from FIGS. 2 and4, the second rail can articulate with respect to the picket to accountfor uneven terrain.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, each rail has a pivot pin accommodatingchannel PC and a pivot pin head accommodating chamber HC so the pivotpin of the first swivel connection can be accommodated in the first railand the pivot pin of the second swivel connection can be accommodated inthe second rail. The channels and chambers of both rails are identical;therefore, in the interest of clarity of the figures, only the channeland chamber of the first rail are identified in FIG. 2, it beingunderstood that the channel and chamber in the second rail are identicalto those shown for the first rail.

Use of the fence system 10 can be understood from the teaching of thisdisclosure and thus will only be briefly discussed. Standard posts, suchas post PS shown in FIG. 3A, are placed in the ground. The prefabricatedsections, which embody the invention, are secured to the posts usingaccepted standard practice. The fencing sections easily adjust to anyterrain and are simply attached to standard posts using well knownmethods. All of the swivel joints are where the rails meet the pickets.Nothing goes into the ground except the posts as per standard practice.As can be understood from FIGS. 3 and 3A, the rails remain even when theterrain is uneven.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it willbe apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many moreembodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of thisinvention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except inlight of the attached claims and their equivalents.

1. An adjustable picket fence consisting of: A) a plurality of postsadapted to be mounted in the ground, each post including (1) a first endwhich is a top end when the post is mounted in the ground, (2) a secondend which is a bottom end when the post is mounted in the ground, (3) alongitudinal axis which extends between the first end and the secondend, (4) a first swivel joint located near the first end, the firstswivel joint including a pivot pin having one end inserted into thepost, a second end that is spaced apart from the post, and a head on thesecond end of the pivot pin of the first swivel joint, and (5) a secondswivel joint located near the second end, the second swivel jointincluding a pivot pin having one end inserted into the post, a secondend that is spaced apart from the post, and a head on the second end ofthe pivot pin of the second swivel joint, the second swivel joint beingspaced apart from the first swivel joint in the direction of thelongitudinal axis; and B) a plurality of rails which are adapted toextend above the ground and which include (1) a first rail that isattached to the first swivel joint of each post with the second end ofthe first swivel joint being accommodated in the first rail, the firstrail having a pivot pin accommodating channel and a pivot pin headaccommodating chamber for pivotally receiving the pivot pin of the firstswivel joint, so the first rail is pivotally connected to the post viathe first swivel joint whereby the first rail can articulate withrespect to the post, and (2) a second rail that is attached to thesecond swivel joint of each post with the second end of the secondswivel joint being accommodated in the second rail, the second railhaving a pivot pin accommodating channel and a pivot pin headaccommodating chamber for pivotally receiving the pivot pin of thesecond swivel joint so the second rail being pivotally connected to thepost via the second swivel joint whereby the second rail can articulatewith respect to the post.
 2. An adjustable picket fence consisting of:A) a plurality of posts that are adapted to be mounted in the ground,each post including (1) a first end which is a top end when the post ismounted in the ground, (2) a second end which is a bottom end when thepost is mounted in the ground, (3) a swivel joint which includes a pivotpin; and B) a plurality of rails which are adapted to extend above theground and which include (1) a first rail that is attached to the swiveljoint of each post, the first rail being pivotally connected to the postvia the swivel joint whereby the first rail can move with respect to thepost, and (2) a second rail that is attached to a second swivel joint ofeach post, the second rail being pivotally connected to the post via thesecond swivel joint whereby the second rail can move with respect to thepost.